Here are some memories from being a teenage Rick Springfield fan in the 1980s:
Checking the magazine stand at the neighborhood drugstore to see if the current issue of Tiger Beat, 16 Magazine or Bop was there so I could add another Rick Springfield poster to my wall.
Taking numerous babysitting jobs for families who had cable so I could watch MTV once the kids were in bed in hopes that a Rick Springfield video would come on.
Camping out overnight in line at the local mall with friends to buy tickets for a Rick Springfield concert.
Locking my bedroom door with a “Taping” sign taped outside then listening to Casey Kasem’s Top 40 countdown with a microphone plugged into a cassette tape recorder, ready to tape certain songs off the radio.
Hoping to meet RS after the concert, waiting for a glimpse after the house lights come on but after watching “Live and Kickin'” realizing that he was likely whisked away in a limo right after the encore and feeling incredibly disappointed.
Being a Rick Springfield fan in 2014:
Finding videos and interviews online that I can watch at home whenever I want.
Finding many RS songs from his past 17 albums online and listen to them at any time; and usually finding the lyrics, too.
Waiting for concert tickets to go on sale then buy them at my computer the second they go on sale and print them out – with the whole process taking less than five minutes.
Having the opportunity to purchase a sound check pass before the show or a meet and greet opportunity after the show.
Keeping up with his life on a daily basis – at least his touring/acting life – through Facebook, Twitter and online interviews.
Being a Rick Springfield fan in 2015:
Watching him perform live in concert at a venue across the country nearly every night of his tour – both through a live-stream on his Facebook page and through concert-attendees’ phones via Periscope.
What’s next?
How about a 3D live-stream concert?
My Rick Springfield crush 